Pilot-coupling



(No Model.)-

R.v M. GALBRAITH. PILOT ooUPLING.

No. 595,383.l

Patented Deon 14,1897.

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UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M. GALBRAITH, oF PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS.

PILOT-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 595,383, dated December 14, 1897.

v Application filed September 27, 1897. Serial No. 663,190. (No model.)

To @ZZ whovn it may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT M. GALBRAITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pine Bluff, in the county of J eerson and State of Arkansas,have made a certain new and useful Improvement in Pilot-Couplers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevational view, partly in cross-section, with a portion of the `front end of a locomotive, showing my improved pilot-coupler in position. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the pilot-coupler.v Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the valve movement in the cabin; and Fig. 4 is a similar view of the valve movement, showin g a different position of the valve. This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in pilot-couplers, the object being to pivotally mount the coupler on a suitable support, whereby it may be thrown back out of operative position when not in use, and when itis desired to use said coupler the means are in the control of the engineer to throw the coupler into an operative position.

With this object in view the inventiony consists, generally stated, in the combination of a pivotallymounted pilot-coupler and of means for raising and lowering the same, said means being under kthe control of the engineer; in the combination,with apilot-coupler, of a gear-wheel or'segment meshing with a rack which is attached to a piston in a cylinder and controlling the motive fluid to each end of said cylinder by'a valve located in the engineers cabin, whereby said pilotcoupler may be raised or lowered, as desired;

Vand, finally, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and. combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims. z

In the drawings, A indicates a buffer-timber which is arranged at the front end of the locomotive, which vis preferably faced with channel-beams a.

B indicates what is known as the pilot, which is of any ordinary or improved construction.

O indicates a draw-bar, which is preferably rectangular in cross-section at the point where it passes through timber A, and is provided with av tail-pin c at its rear end and with a nose c at its front end, to which nose the coupler draw-bar D is pivotally mounted.

@indicates a follower strung on the tail-pin and resting against the shoulder formed by 6o the rectangular portion of the draw-bar C.

C indicates a cap or housing bolted to the rear face of timberA and formed with an inturned flange c3 at its rear end, which coperates with a flange on a follower c4, strung on the tail-pin, as shown more clearly in Fig.

`2. The tail-pin is preferably threaded at its rear end to receive nuts c5, which tend to compress a buffer-spring c6, arranged around the tail-bolt and between the followers c2 and c4. 7o

`By this construction it will be seen that any shock or jar communicated to the draw-bar will be taken`up by the buffer-spring c6, a movement in one direction, to the rear of the draw-bar C, causing the follower c2 to com- 75 press the buffer-spring, while a movement in the other direction, forward, will be taken up vby the follower c4 compressing the buerv spring, the shoulder on the draw-bar C leaving the follower c2, which is arrested by con- 8o tacting with the rearface of the timber A.

The pivot-pin of the coupler draw-bar D is preferably arranged with a square portion inear one of itsend's, on 'which is strung a gear-wheel or segment E, which is thereby xedto said coupler, draw-bar.

F indicates a rack meshing with said segment E, said rack being held to the segment by lugs c7 on the draw-bar C.

G indicates a bracket secured to the under 9o side of the draw-bar C and moving therewith, said bracket supporting a cylinder H, which cylinder carries a plunger or piston, of which the rack F forms the piston-rod.

Pipes I and J lead from the ends of the cylinder H to a valve K, located in the engineers cabin, to which valve K also leads a pipe L from some source of pressure-supply either in the form of compressed air or steam, as the case may be. Valve K may, as is obvious, in 10o certain of its positions shut off communication between pipe L and either end of lthe cylinder H. This is such a common expedient that I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the same in the drawings.

When it is desired to throw the coupler out of operative position, the valve K is turned so as to open communication between pipes L and I, as shown in Fig. 3, which admits pressure above the piston in cylinder ll, causing the same to descend and move the pilotcoupler back to its rear position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. At the same time any pressure which may have been beneath the piston in cylinder Il is forced bacl: through pipe J and out through the exhaust-opening kin the casing of valve K, as shown in Fig. \Vhen it is desired to place the coupler in an operative position from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, valve K is turned so as to exhaust the pressure above the piston in cylinder H, as shown in Fig. 4, and establish communication between pipes L and J, when the piston in cylinder l'l will be forced upward, throwing the pilot-coupler into an operative position. Of course it is to be understood that when the coupler is in either of its two positions the valve K may be turned so as to shut off communication from pipe L, and thus save the waste of pressure.

By the use of my improved pilot-coupler it is obvious that when the same is thrown back out of operative position there is less liability of accidents from striking stock or other obstructions on track than when the coupler is in a horizontal position. Furthermore, the engineer is the only person who can control the movement of the pilot-coupler, thus saving ones strength in lifting the same up or otherwise placing it in operative position, as is obvious.

I am aware that many lninor changes in the arrangement, construction, and combination of the several parts of my coupler can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a pivoted pilotcoupler, of a gear-wheel or segment fixed thereto, a cylinder, and a rack which is actuated by said cylinder to throw said coupler into and out of its operative position; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a pivoted pilotcoupler, of a gear-wheel or segment fixed thereto, of a cylinder, a rack which is actuated by said cylinder, said rack being in mesh with said gear-wheel or segment, pressurepipes leading to the ends of said cylinder, and a valve for admitting pressure through said pipes to either end of said cylinder; substantially as described.

The combination with a pivoted pilotcoupler, of a gear-wheel or segment fixed thereto, of a cylinder, a rack which is actuated by said cylinder, said rack being in mesh with said gear-wheel or segment, pressurepipes leading to the ends of said cylinder,

and a valve for admitting pressure through said pipes to either end of said cylinder, said valve exhausting the pressure from the end opposite that in which pressure is admitted; substantially as described.

4. The combination with a suitable source of pressure-supply, of a valve for directing the same into a plurality of pipes if desired, a cylinder to which said pipes lead, a plunger arranged in said cylinder, a rack which is connected to said plunger, a gear-wheel or segment in mesh with the rack, and a pivoted pilot-coupler which is actuated by said gearwheel or segment; substantially as described.

5. The combination with the draw-bar C, of a suitable buffer spring or springs therefor, a pilot draw-bar pivoted to the forward end of said draw-bar C, a cylinder carried on said draw-bar C, a plunger in said cylinder, and means for controlling the positions of said pivoted' pilot-coupler actuated by said plunger; substantially as described.

6. The combination with the draw-bar C, of a buffer spring or springs therefor, a cylinder carried by the forward end of said drawbar, pressure-pipes leading to the ends of said cylinder, a plunger arranged within said cylinder, a rack which forms part of said plunger, a pilot-coupler draw-bar pivoted to the forward end of said draw-bar C, and a gearwheel or segment fixed to the end of said pivoted draw-bar and meshing with said fluidactuated rack; substantially as described.

7. The combination with the draw-bar C, of a tail-pin on its rear end, a follower c2 strung on said tail-pin, and normally resting against the shoulder formed at the enlarged portion of the draw-bar, a follower c'l strung on the tailpin and normally impinging against nuts threaded on the rear end of said tail-pin, a compression-spring arranged between said followers, and a housing for said spring, said housing cooperating with the follower c4; substantially as described.

S. The combination with the draw-bar C, which is rectangular in cross-section, of a tail-bolt c arranged on its rear end, a follower c2 which cooperates with the shoulder on thc draw-bar and a timber through which said draw-bar passes, a housing c formed with an inturned flange c3, a follower c4 strung on the tail-bolt, nuts c5 which are threaded on the rear end of the tail-bolt, and which normally impinge against the follower c, and a bufferspring cG arranged around the tail-bolt and between the followers c2 and c4; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 21st day of September, 1897.

ROBERT M. GALBRAITII.

Witnesses:

J. E. Boven, THos. F. OURY. 

